1. Field of the Invention
Priority is claimed to Japanese application No. 2004-112202, filed Apr. 6, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an information retrieving apparatus which retrieves predetermined information according to input of character information, and in particular, relates to an information retrieving apparatus suitable for use when installed in a mobile object such as a vehicle or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, information retrieving apparatuses have been proposed for retrieving predetermined information, such as a destination or the like, according to text information input from an input operation section such as a keyboard or the like.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 11-272386 proposes a technique in which a succeeding input candidate from a virtual keyboard is displayed with reference to input history.
However, there is a problem in the conventional technique as follows. That is, when performing input of text information, and as candidate characters to be retrieved as objects become limited, some characters are not detected in the character list as appropriate candidate characters. Accordingly, when candidate characters are limited and as a number of selectable characters are reduced, it becomes necessary to skip non-selectable characters in the character list. As a result, as the number of selectable characters becomes limited, and the number of selectable characters in the character list is reduced, the amount of selection processing changes and the number of input operations changes, and hence operator's feeling of the input operation changes.
Furthermore, in an information retrieving apparatus installed in a moving object such as a vehicle or the like, it is desirable from the standpoint of operability and convenience, to be able to input information without having to look at a display screen. However, if feeling of the input operation changes as described above, the operation must be performed while looking at a display screen for coping with reduction of selectable characters. Therefore, the conventional technique involves a problem from the standpoint of operability and convenience.
Moreover, in an information retrieving apparatus installed in a moving object, sometimes a jog dial or the like, capable being operated by one hand, is used. However, in such a case, if the number of selectable characters is changed, the operating rotation angle for retrieving characters changes greatly at the same time. Therefore, there is a problem in that it may cause errors.